Aged residential care occupancy for 30 September 2018 quarter

The national occupancy figure at 30 September 2018 is 87.6% (Figure 1, red line). This is effectively the same as the 87.7% recorded in 30 June 2018[1]. Underlying this static occupancy was an increase in the ARC bed supply (up 0.15% to 38,798 in September) which was fractionally higher than the 0.13% increase in residents (to 34,004).

Compared to a year ago, there has been a 0.7% increase in occupancy rate. There was an 1.1% increase in residents over the year, greater than the 0.2% increase in beds over the same period.

The number of distinct care facilities recorded in the 30 September 2018 survey is 669, the same as in the 30 June 2018 survey.

Figure 1 also shows the occupancy rate with ORA ARRC-certified bed and residents excluded (green line). This stands at 89.5%, around the same as the 89.4% in June 2018.

The DHB region with the highest occupancy in the September 2018 quarter is West Coast, at 92.0% (Table 1). Hutt Valley (91.3%), Northland (91.2%) and Southern (90.8%) DHB regions also have relatively high occupancy. At the other extreme, Wairarapa is now the DHB region with lowest occupancy, at 82.4% and occupancy in Lakes is second lowest, at 82.5%.

Figure 2 ranks the DHB regions in descending order of their shift in occupancy between June 2018 and September 2018. The largest increase occurred in Taranaki (up 2.8% to 85.5%), but it remains a low occupancy region (see Table 1). This is followed by a 1.7% increase (to 90.6%) in Hawke’s Bay. In contrast occupancy in Tairawhiti fell by 2.5% (to 86.9%), and in Lakes by 1.9% (to 82.5%).

Table 2 shows the national occupancy difference by (non-ORA) bed type in June 2018 and September 2018. Occupancy of dedicated rest home beds increased by 0.3% to 89.8%. Occupancy of dedicated hospital beds also increased, by 0.4% to 89.9%, and occupancy of (non-ORA) dual service beds increased by 0.3% to 89.0%.

Table 3 shows occupancy across all DHB regions by (non-ORA) bed-service type at 30 September 2018.

For further information please contact John McDougall, NZACA Data Analyst, at john@nzaca.org.nz or 04 473 3554.

[1] Percent occupancy to two decimal places is 87.64% in September 2018, compared to 87.66% in June.